


Worlds Unseen

by EHyde



Series: Alien Larp AU [6]
Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Aliens, Artificial Intelligence, Gen, Sci-Fi AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-09-06 03:21:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8732812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EHyde/pseuds/EHyde
Summary: Yona's mission to take down Hiyou and rid the Water Tribe of nadai is interrupted by the appearance of a ship floating in the sky ... and by the revelation that neither Lili nor Suwon are the people she believed them to be. (a continuation of my sci-fi au)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> See [here](http://fallenwithstyle.tumblr.com/tagged/alien+larp+au/chrono) for more background on this AU.

The arrow flew true, and Yona let out the breath she was holding, relaxing as Zeno took her hand and repeating his words to herself. _I only have one enemy now._

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t move around so much,” said General Judoh, stepping back into view.

“I’ll act according to my own decisions.” Maybe Judoh really was trying to protect her, Yona thought as Judoh raised his swords against another drug puppet, but he didn’t make her feel safe. She tensed as Suwon emerged from behind the inn, the snipers on the rooftop dealt with. Taking a deep breath, she squeezed Zeno’s hand a little tighter. _Suwon came to take down Hiyou, too._ And together, they were succeeding. Hiyou himself hadn’t come out, but his drug puppets had nearly all fallen, and—

“Lili! Lady Lili!” That was Tetora’s voice. Hadn’t she been seriously injured? What was she doing running in here as if Lili’s very life depended on it?

Tetora took Lili’s hand and spoke to her in a whisper that Yona couldn’t make out—but whatever she said, Lili was shaken. “You’re wrong!” she said. “It can’t be him!”

Yona pulled away from Zeno and ran to Lili’s side. “Lili, is everything all right?”

Lili didn’t answer. “The others are coming to finish what we started,” said Tetora. “They’ll kill you too, if you’re in their way, you know what they’re like. Ayura is here with the ship. Come on, let’s go.”

Lili pulled her hand away. “You’re wrong,” she repeated. “They’re wrong. Won isn't—and besides, Hiyou is still—”

As if in answer, a figure emerged from the crowd. Hiyou, knife in hand, eyes full of rage. Zeno sprang in front of Yona but before Hiyou got close, Tetora pointed at him, holding something in her hand. A bolt of lightning flashed across the plaza. _What—?_ “There, stunned,” said Tetora. Then she let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, that wasn’t very subtle, was it?”

That wasn’t lightning. Whatever it was, it came from the object Tetora was holding. “Tetora, what—?” Yona began. She’d never seen anything like it, and people in the crowd were staring, too.

But Tetora didn’t answer her. “Come on, Lili, let’s go,” she said. She glanced over at Suwon. “Or did you want to do it yourself?” she asked, holding out her strange weapon.

“No! I’m telling you, it isn’t him! He’s a friend!”

“Lili? Is everything all right?” Suwon asked, approaching Lili and giving no indication he’d seen anything out of place.

Lili looked at him with wide eyes. “You have to get out of here,” she said. “Some people I know—they’ve mistaken you for someone else—they’re going to try to kill you!”

Yona tried to make sense of what she was hearing. Lili still didn’t know who “Won” really was. And though she wasn’t someone who would be involved in an assassination plot…that was certainly what it sounded like.

“Lili, it’s not a mistake,” Tetora insisted.

“It has to be!” said Lili. “This guy—he’s just a merchant! He’s not the sort of person the AI would want for a host.”

“He’s—” Yona froze as Lili and Tetora both turned their eyes on her. “He’s the king,” she said, and at that, Lili faltered. “Lili, what’s an ‘AI?’” She was missing something, an important piece of what was happening here.

Before Lili could answer, another bolt of fire, just like the one from Tetora’s weapon, shot towards them. “Your Majesty, stay back,” said Judoh, already moving in the direction the blast had come from. Before he finished speaking, Suwon stepped forward, wresting Tetora’s weapon from her grasp.

“I’m impressed, by the way,” Suwon said. “Bringing weapons like this to my planet must have been difficult.”

“…Won?” Lili’s voice went quiet. She took a step away from him, as if suddenly afraid.

Another blast, and almost instantly, Suwon returned fire. “Take them alive, if you can, General Judoh,” he called out.

“This crowd…” Judoh muttered.

“Don’t worry,” said Suwon. “I’m almost in. Soon they’ll be very easy to spot.”

_How does Suwon know how to use that weapon?_ Another blast. This one left a scorched mark on the fabric of Lili’s dress. “Lili!” Yona stepped in front of the other girl, scanning the crowd for the attacker, but before she could raise her bow another bolt flashed out. Somehow, Zeno was there in front of her before it hit, and— “Zeno!”

The yellow dragon staggered back, then regained his footing. “Zeno’s fine, miss!”

And then—something flickered, a shadow fell over the crowd, and abruptly, where a man in the crowd had once stood, there was…something else. A creature covered in feathers, like some kind of demonic bird—but Judoh didn’t hesitate, and took the monstrous assassin down before Yona could loose an arrow. Another blast— _they,_ Tetora said; there was more than one—but at a returning shot from Suwon, another figure fell, and—Zeno stepped backwards, reaching for Yona’s hand. “Miss,” he said. “Look up.”

Yona followed Zeno’s gaze—then dropped her bow and arrow in shock. _How—?_ Something the size of a small house floated, impossibly, in the sky above them. Screams broke out as the crowd below began to scatter; Yona and Zeno weren’t the only ones looking at the sky. “…Lili,” Yona began, because somehow, Lili knew what was going on here. Lili was the center of it all. “Lili, what…what is that?”

“It’s a ship,” said Lili, a tone of defeat in her voice. “A ship that travels between worlds.” _Between…worlds?_ “You weren’t supposed to see any of this, no one was, and—I’m sorry. I’m going home now. You won’t see me again.” Yona forced her eyes away from that impossible sight in the sky and turned to face her friend. Somehow, after everything else, she’d almost expected it—Lili, too, had been transformed. Dark feathers framed a sharp, inhuman face, but Yona only caught a glimpse before Lili raised her hands, hiding behind them. “Don’t look at me!” Next to her, Tetora—or the creature Yona assumed was Tetora—put an arm around Lili’s shoulders. If it could be called an arm. Not feathered like Lili, Tetora looked more like something that belonged beneath the sea.

“Now I’m really impressed!” Suwon, too, was looking up at the…ship…in surprise. Surprise, but not amazement. Just like those weapons, he somehow already knew— “I never expected anyone to hide an entire ship from me.”

“Lili, we have to go now.” As Tetora spoke, the ship lowered itself, slowly, until it hovered only a few feet above the plaza. Seen from the side rather than below, it looked almost like a giant arrowhead, made of a shimmering, dark metal. A panel in the smooth wall slid open, and a ramp slid out.

_Dragons exist. Why not monsters, too?_ But not Lili, Lili was a normal girl, she wasn't—she’d known what was going on, but it was Suwon who'd—

“What have you done to Lili?” Yona demanded, looking Suwon in the eye.

Suwon paused. “This has nothing to do with you,” he said. “It would be best if you forget what you’ve seen today.”

Even if she wanted to, Yona didn’t think she could. “Lili’s my friend,” she said. “If you plan to hurt her—”

“Not at all,” said Suwon. “Lady Lili, listen to your bodyguard. You should leave now.”

“Your Majesty! You’re going to let these—these monsters—escape?” Judoh returned to Suwon’s side, both attackers now held captive by the other two Sky Tribe soldiers. While the first prisoner was a monster, the second still appeared to be a woman.

“I need their ship away from all these eyes,” said Suwon. “Don’t worry, General Judoh. They won’t go far.”

At that comment, Lili finally moved, turning and taking Tetora’s hand, stepping onto the ramp. The ship began to rise back into the air.

Suwon wouldn’t answer her questions. Even if he did, Yona couldn’t trust his answers. And Lili said she wouldn’t see her again. _I’m probably doing something very, very stupid right now._ “Lili, I’m coming with you!” Yona leapt up onto the ramp before it could rise even higher and carry her friend away forever. Behind her, a thump—Zeno leapt after her, grabbing on to the edge of the ramp; Yona reached for his hand and pulled him the rest of the way on board.

Lili stared at them both. “Yona…you can’t—oh, nevermind, just get inside!” The ramp pulled up behind them and Yona looked down at the shrinking crowd below. Just as the doorway slid shut, her eyes fell on Hak, Yun, and the other dragons rushing onto the plaza, staring up at her as Lili’s strange ship rose higher and higher, away from them and into the sky.


	2. Chapter 2

Yona pulled her eyes away from the closed door—Hak would be all right, he _would_ —and turned to face the space she’d stepped into. Furnished with materials she’d never seen before, brightly—and colorfully—lit with no sign of candle or lamp, she could believe this was something from another world. “Tell me what’s going on,” she demanded. From outside, the ship had seemed to be uniformly covered in smooth metal, but from inside, the entire front half was clearer than glass. She could see the ground shrinking away beneath them—they were higher than she’d ever flown with Jae-ha, and rising higher still. She swallowed. _Is this what’s meant by traveling between worlds? To fly so high that we leave this earth behind and…and land somewhere else?_

Lili ignored Yona’s question. “Ayura, we have to land, we can’t take these guys back home with us!” She turned back to face Yona and Zeno. “You shouldn’t be here,” she said, an unreadable expression on her inhuman face, which, for the first time, Yona could see clearly. Short dark feathers framed her sharp features, tufting out longer behind her head. Blacker even than her hair had been, they glimmered under the bright lights with a dark blue sheen. Long feathers grew from her arms, too, giving an impression of wings—though the way that the fabric of her sleeves bunched up over them rather ruined the effect.

The creature who must be Ayura—she was the same sort of bird-creature as Lili, but her feathers were a mottled brown, reminding Yona of a hawk—gave a curt nod. She sat near the front, behind a desk covered in flashing lights. “I’m giving us some distance first,” she said.

“Do we have time?” Tetora asked. “The AI broke through the ship’s cloak and our holomasks, and it said—”

“Don’t worry,” said Ayura. “The ship’s secure.”

The ship shuddered to a stop, hanging motionless in the sky. “I’m afraid not.” Yona flinched. That was Suwon’s voice. Where—?

“He’s not in the ship,” said Lili as Yona looked around for the source of the voice. “That’s—”

“He’s in the ship,” said Ayura. “I’ve lost all control.”

“—I don’t think I really believed it until now,” said Lili, “He was so nice! And he acted like an idiot sometimes, too, I can’t believe the Company’s AI would—”

“I can still hear you when you say things like that, you know,” said Suwon’s voice.

“Stop it! I know what you are now, so stop—stop acting like a real person!”

“Lili, just who…or what…do you think Suwon is?” _She knows something about him. Something important._ Suwon knew how to use that weapon, and he had somehow caused Lili’s transformation. He was inside this ship, and yet not, like—like a ghost…

_Will this secret help me understand—?_

“Please. This has nothing to do with Yona. I would ask that you don’t—” Suwon’s voice cut off abruptly.

“…what just happened?” asked Tetora.

“I don’t know.” Ayura touched something, pushed a lever forward, and the ship started moving. “It’s gone, though; I have control again.”

The shifts in motion were dizzying, but Yona couldn’t let that distract her. “Suwon and I grew up together,” she said. “I’ve known him since we were children.” A lie. She hadn’t known him at all. But at least she knew— “He’s not…something like you. He’s human.”

“I…I’m sorry,” said Lili. “I didn’t realize he was someone you knew before. But he’s not…the Suwon you knew doesn’t exist anymore.”

Amidst all these new and strange things, Yona almost laughed. She knew that. Whether she held close to those old memories or rejected them as a lie, she knew at least that much. But as for why, and as for who he was now…she’d seen hints, that morning in Awa, and on the battlefield, but those questions still eluded her.

“It’s hard to explain,” said Lili. “People from my world, they want to exploit yours. I came here to try to stop them. I…I might’ve been a little bit over my head. But the Company is bad news! None of their planets ever—anyway. The AI is something created by the Company to control your world. It can watch the whole planet, it can communicate with and control any of my people’s technology, and in order to interact with your people, to shape your kingdoms the way the Company wants, it…it possesses, completely takes over, a human host.”

 _Possessed. Taken over._ “When?”

“…what?”

“ _When_ did that thing possess Suwon?”

“The Company has been studying your world for over a decade,” said Lili. “But they only began their real operation here about six months ago. So…probably then.”

Yona took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. That meant—that meant— “Thank you for telling me,” she said. Calmly.

“…that’s it? You’re not going to ask how, or claim it’s impossible?”

“I’ve seen a lot of impossible things,” said Yona. “Even before today. I won’t say I understand it, but…you’ve told me that the Suwon I knew wasn’t a lie. Thank you.”

It was Zeno who broke the silence that followed. “Zeno knows the miss has important things to think about,” he said. “But Zeno wants to know where we’re going.”

“We’re landing,” said Lili. “You can’t come with us.”

“I know,” Yona assured her. “I just wanted some answers before you left.”

“We’ll land near Shisen,” said Ayura. Yona’s eyes widened and she peered forward out the window again. They’d come so far already? Even for Jae-ha, it had taken hours to fly so far.

Tetora sat down beside Ayura. “You fly, I’ll make sure the ship stays secure.”

“Right,” said Ayura. “But I don’t know why the AI lost control. It’s nothing I did.”

“Maybe he got distracted?” Zeno offered. Yona frowned. Suwon wasn’t here. Which meant he was still in Sensui, with Judoh and with the prisoners they’d taken. With Hak. She didn’t want to think about what could have distracted him.

Lili shook her head. “AIs don’t get distracted,” she said. “He could be in the middle of a battle, and all the while talk to a dozen different ships, if he wanted.”

“Scary,” said Zeno. “Sounds like this company tried to make a god.”

“Yeah,” said Lili. “That’s one way to look at it.”

Yona shuddered. “Miss,” Zeno asked. “What do you want to do?”

Yona took another deep breath. She knew more, now, but nowhere near enough. “If you’re really leaving, Lili,” she said, “then tell me what I can do. Tell me what I need to know to protect my world.” There might not be much time before they landed, but there had to be at least something. “Those others, they wanted to kill him. Would that—?”

Lili shook her head. “It wouldn’t kill the AI, but it would cripple it. It would be a pretty big setback for the Company, but if you didn’t have a way to follow through right away…”

“…I see.” Yona didn’t have a ship like this of her own. No way of visiting these other worlds, of interacting with this Company on anything but their terms. But— “This is my home. I have to do something! If I can’t do anything here, then—then I’m coming with you. To your world.” She glanced at Zeno. Would he say that was reckless, hold her back? No—he was grinning. Then Yona lost her balance as the ship halted its descent. “…you’ll take me with you?” she asked, pushing herself back to her feet. She hadn’t expected Lili to agree so readily.

But Ayura and Tetora both were frantically pressing at the ship’s controls. “I really thought I’d blocked it!” said Tetora.

“Sorry, no.” Suwon’s voice filled the ship once again. “A moment of distraction, that was all.”

“Stop messing around!” Lili demanded. “What are you going to do to us?”

“I can’t allow you to leave yet. I certainly can’t allow you to take Yona with you. Your ship will take you to Kuuto.” Yona’s eyes widened. She couldn’t go to the capital, to the castle…but no. That was an old fear, a fear that followed a different Suwon. “You came here with good intentions, Lili, so don’t worry—you won’t be harmed. Yona,” Suwon’s voice continued, and Yona froze at the direct address. “I’m sorry. I never meant to involve you in this.”

“Just—stop,” Yona said. “Lili told me. She said you’re not—that you’re some _thing_ that replaced the real Suwon. Is that true?”

A pause. “That’s true.”

“Then you’ve taken not one but two very precious people from me. I—” _I won’t let you take Lili, too. And I won’t let you take my home from me a second time._ But confronting Suwon now—even when he wasn’t really here, wasn’t really Suwon, the words wouldn’t come. She took a deep breath. Suwon _wasn’t_ here. She didn’t have to have this conversation.

“I can’t allow the ship to land yet,” the voice continued, as if Yona hadn’t spoken. “But when it does, you’ll be free to go.”

“I’ll stay with Lili,” Yona said shortly.

“…very well.”

“Yona, you don’t need to do that.”

“I said I’ll stay!” Yona reached for Lili’s hands. Clawed and scaled—but smooth, not rough like Kija’s dragon hand—each hand only had four fingers, and the feel of those inhuman hands in her own only reminded Yona how much she still didn’t know. “Lili, you’re still my friend…aren’t you? It’s not just that I need to learn more. If you’re in danger, I want to stay by your side.” Compared to ships that could fly and weapons that could shoot fire, Yona had no power at all. She knew that. But if she ran away now, she knew she’d never forgive herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Lili couldn’t believe it. This human girl had absolutely no idea what she was up against. Lili should be the one promising to protect _her_ , not the other way around. But it was too late for that—the two humans had seen too much, and now they were in the Company’s hands. Lili should never have let them come aboard. “I’m sure I won’t be hurt,” Lili said, though she wasn’t sure at all. “I have family back home who would look for me, after all.”

“Family,” said Yona. “Is General Joon-gi—?”

“No, no, that was just the role I was playing here.” And, Lili realized, it should have given “Won” away right from the start. No random passerby without a memory implant could have possibly recognized her as the Water Tribe leader’s non-existent daughter. She’d been so caught up in her role—

But there was no such thing as a mistake where a planetary AI was concerned. Every word spoken was deliberate, calculated. Why had it taken the risk of giving itself away like that?

“Then, the people who would come for you—” Yona’s eyes widened. Oops. The thought of more people with heat-rays and spaceships invading her home probably wasn’t very reassuring to her after all. Yona’s yellow-haired friend reached an arm around her shoulder, and she turned to face the other human. “Zeno! Your clothes!” With everything else happening, Lili hadn’t noticed till now, either—but there was a giant hole burnt through both layers of Zeno’s clothing. “I thought you weren’t hurt!”

“Zeno’s fine! See? It’s just the fabric that got burned!”

That wasn’t how heat-rays worked. For it to make a hole that size, Zeno should be—or were humans affected differently? No, that wouldn’t make sense. Well, both humans were unharmed, and that was what mattered.

“Zeno, I’m so sorry I dragged you into this,” said Yona. “When I chose to follow Lili, I didn’t even think—”

“Zeno’s glad you did!” said Zeno. “Zeno’s never seen anything like the little bird-lady in all his life, and Zeno’s curious about everything else too. I wonder why Zeno never heard of all these other worlds…” The human paused, staring at Lili so intently that she had to stop herself from mumbling a hasty explanation of first-contact protocols on the spot. That much eye contact had to be weird even by human standards! Then Zeno smiled again. “Besides, if Zeno is with the miss, then Hakuryuu, Ryokuryuu, and Seiryuu will be able to come and find us!” And that made no sense, either. No human could possibly have a tracking device, not even a primitive one.

Lili glanced at Ayura and Tetora. It looked like they’d given up trying to regain control of the ship. Well then, that was that. “Yona, Zeno,” she said. “I think…there’s nothing we can do until we land. So until then, let me at least take care of you! Zeno, I have spare clothes.” It was such a small thing to offer after getting them involved. Such a small thing that, in the end, would amount to nothing. “Oh, but they’re not human clothes…”

“Zeno will wear anything!”

“Then, come this way.” Ayura and Tetora’s ship only had one cabin, a small room which sat above the bridge. For once, she was thankful this ship was so small it only had hanging ladders instead of a proper lift between levels. One less thing to explain. “You can sit down,” said Lili, as the two humans climbed up after her. “You’re probably tired, right?” Most of the floor was filled by three sleeping cushions, so she undimmed the port wall to make the room feel a little less cramped. Or…wait. Would it be better not to? Looking down and seeing the earth so far below them had to be a new and scary experience for the humans, but they didn’t object, or even seem all that alarmed, so she let it be.

“Can—can Suwon still hear us in here?” Yona asked, looking around the new space.

“Yes,” Lili admitted. “The AI hacked the ship’s computer, so it controls everything, even the intercom.”

“There’s nothing I can do if you disable it manually, you know.” Yona stiffened as Won’s friendly voice—why did the AI continue to use that voice? The ship’s computer had a perfectly functional audio interface, it didn’t have to keep reminding Lili she’d been tricked!—filled this room, too.

“R-right.” And why was it acting helpful? But Lili looked around the room until she found the intercom panel, then yanked it open and pulled a cord loose. “There, now it can’t hear.” She glared at the wall. _“Right?”_ No answer. The change in Yona was immediately visible as she finally relaxed, sitting down on one of the three cushions. Strange. Out of everything new that Yona had seen, Suwon frightened her the most. Was there something Lili should remember about Kouka’s king? She hadn’t paid nearly enough attention to the cultural briefings…

Lili pulled her travel bag down from its hanger. “Zeno, why don’t you take my clothes, since they’re made for humans, and I’ll change into something else.” Yona looked like she was about to object. “What?”

“Well, your clothes are women’s clothes, Lili…”

“…yes?” Was that wrong? “I thought…” Her feathers puffed out in embarrassment. “Well you humans are so weird-looking, I can’t be blamed if I get it wrong occasionally!”

“Zeno does make a very pretty girl!”

Yona laughed. Honest-to-goodness laughter. “I suppose we must look as strange to you as you do to us,” she mused.

“I thought you’d be frightened when you saw my true form,” Lili admitted. Honestly, she was amazed at how calmly Yona had taken everything. Her civilization was supposed to be completely unprepared for alien contact, but Yona was acting like all this was only slightly unusual.

“I was afraid something had happened to you,” said Yona. “But I couldn’t be afraid _of_ you, Lili! Besides, surely you noticed that some of my friends aren’t completely human, either.”

Lili did remember that one of them had a scaled and clawed hand, which humans weren’t supposed to have. But there was only one sapient species on this planet, she knew that for a fact. “I thought they were just weird,” she admitted.

“That’s true, too!” said Zeno with a smile.

“Anyway, the hem of your dress got a little burnt, too,” said Yona.

“Then, Zeno, take my blouse and petticoat—the under-layers are fine either way, right? None of my other clothes have sleeves…” At Zeno’s nod, she rummaged through her bag, pulling out some tunics. “I’ll get you something else to wear over them.” She even had a tunic that was nearly the same color as what Zeno had worn before, orange fabric dotted with bronze embellishments around the low, wide neckline and along the edges of the three slits in the long skirt. For herself, she picked out a double-layered shift and tunic in the same blue and purple as her Koukan dress.

“I’ve never seen fabrics like this,” Yona marveled, running a hand along the deep purple cloth—a high-quality coated synthetic, well beyond the ability of anyone in Kouka to create. “Your world must be full of wonders.”

“I—”

“Lili? What’s wrong?”

“You…how you can still say something like that, even after I told you that people from my world only want to hurt yours?”

“But you don’t want that, Lili.” Lili didn’t reply. There were plenty of people who felt the way she did, that pre-contact planets should be left alone. But the Company had so much power that no one ever tried to change anything. Maybe Lili really had been too reckless, but she refused to believe she’d done the wrong thing.

Unbidden, she remembered what Won—what the AI—had told her in Sensui. _I don’t think someone who is making their best effort to try and break through the current situation is foolish._ He—it—had just been talking about the Water Tribe, but Lili had taken courage from those words regardless. And they’d come from the very thing she’d come here to stop. Why couldn’t it have been anyone but him?

“I wasn’t able to do anything to stop them, though.”

“But we know now! Lili, that’s not nothing,” Yona insisted. “And if you tell us more, we’ll surely be able to do something.”

Lili was silent. She couldn’t bring herself to say that in the end, it wouldn’t make a difference how much Yona knew. “I—I need to go ask Tetora something,” she said. “Wait here.”

But when Lili climbed back down onto the bridge, it wasn’t Tetora she spoke to. “Computer,” she said. “I’ll accept whatever punishment the Company has for me. But please, when you take care of Yona, please don't—please at least let her keep her memories of me as a human! I don’t want her to forget me completely!” She didn’t expect it to listen. An AI couldn’t possibly understand—Lili wasn’t sure she understood it herself. She’d come to this planet thinking of its native species, humans, as something to be protected. She’d never expected to see any of them as equals, let alone look up to them. Never expected Yona’s friendship to mean so much to her. Maybe it was selfish, but when Lili thought that Yona would never think of her again—would never even know she existed—

“Lili,” said the AI. “I’m not going to erase Yona’s memories.”

“But—you said it would be best if she forgot—”

“You really don’t trust me at all anymore, do you?”

“Of course not!” The crest of feathers on her head fanned out in sudden anger. “You’re not ‘Won,’ you’re just a machine! You were only cleaning up nadai because the Company wants Kouka to be a safe place, right? You don’t care about the people there, or about Yona, or—”

“I suppose I can’t prove you wrong,” said the AI. “But if I were willing to erase Yona’s memories, I’d have done so long ago.”

Lili didn’t reply. She wanted to believe him—it, she reminded herself—she really did. But allowing Yona and Zeno to remember what they’d seen would be unheard of. And yet…the AI had nothing to gain by lying to her now. Yona and Zeno wouldn’t be able to get away even if Lili warned them about what would happen; here in the ship they were essentially prisoners. “Lili,” said Tetora. “That entire crowd saw us. It won’t be able to wipe everyone.”

“…I’ll believe you,” said Lili. “But if you’re lying—” If it was lying, she’d never trust it again…and the AI undoubtedly knew that. It _wanted_ her trust. Yona and Zeno would be all right, but she’d be a fool to take this for kindness.

“You’ll land soon,” Won’s voice continued. “You should do whatever you wish to prepare.”

Wordlessly, Lili turned and retreated back to the cabin. Zeno had changed into his new clothes, the mismatch of Koukan and galactic fashion somehow suiting him perfectly. Her crest twitched in a slight smile. Maybe, if the AI was telling the truth, he’d actually be able to keep them.

Both humans were standing, looking out the transparent wall over the landscape below. “That’s Hiryuu Palace,” Yona said in wonder. “Lili, this travels so _fast._ ”

“Actually, this ship’s atmospheric speeds are pretty—” She broke off. That wasn’t important. “Yona, whatever it tells you, whatever it says, just know that an AI can’t feel things any more than—than—” Yona didn’t have even the most basic concept of a computer, of any sort of automaton. How could she make sure she understood? “Than a book. Its words have all been written by someone else. It’s just picking the ones it thinks you want to hear.”

“Miss bird-lady, what did he tell you just now?” Zeno asked.

“N-nothing!”

“Lili…”

“I just want you to be careful!”

“Trust me,” said Yona. “I will.” As they continued flying, the red-roofed castle vanished out of sight, and Yona breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yona,” Lili began. She remembered now, she was pretty sure. “That’s your home, isn’t it?” That was Yona’s connection to the AI, it had to be. The former king had died under mysterious circumstances. That was when, that was how, the current king had gained the throne. Those were the memories the AI hadn’t erased.

“…no,” said Yona. “That’s not my home.”

The negative answer told Lili all she needed to know.


	4. Chapter 4

Yona waited alone with Zeno in the little room once again—Lili had insisted they remain there as the ship descended. “I don’t know who will be waiting for us,” she’d said. “But if there’s any chance they don’t know you came along—”

She’d insisted they wouldn’t leave Lili’s side, but when Zeno reminded her that they would stand a better chance of helping her if they weren’t prisoners themselves, she saw his point. Before returning to the bridge, Lili touched something on the forward wall, rendering it as invisible as the outer window. Yona could see Ayura and Tetora below as if she stood on a balcony. “Don’t worry,” she said. “From down there, the wall’s still solid.” Then she’d done something else to allow them to listen, warned them to keep quiet because that _wasn’t_ one way, and climbed back down.

“I thought we would land somewhere isolated,” Ayura commented from her seat below.

Looking out the window, Yona could see that though they’d flown past Hiryuu Palace and beyond the capital city of Kuuto, the land below them was far from empty. It wasn’t anywhere she recognized, but that didn’t mean much.

“Are we cloaked?” Lili asked. Invisible, Yona supposed she meant, like the ship had been before it appeared back in Sensui. Ayura nodded.

“That domed structure,” said Tetora. “Isn’t that an observatory?”

“Zeno, do you know where we are?” Yona whispered. They weren’t supposed to speak, but that only applied after they landed, right?

“Hmm, Zeno’s never seen those buildings before. They’re pretty new!”

“I think you’re right,” said Ayura, answering Tetora’s question. “Computer, where are you taking us?”

“None of you would believe me if I tried to explain.” Yona stiffened. Suwon’s voice was still here. “So I’ll leave that to someone else. I hope you can trust me again, Lili. Working with you was a lot of fun!”

“Not likely,” Lili muttered.

“Lili, now, don’t antagonize it further,” Tetora cautioned.

“That shouldn’t be possible either!” Lili exploded. “Tetora, you understand computers, you know it can’t feel anything!”

“Well, that’s not completely accurate—” Tetora broke off as the ship shook as it settled into its landing—right in the middle of the courtyard of a large house.

“Miss Tetora, you don’t have to worry about Lili’s safety,” said Suwon. “Lili, I meant what I said before. I really do admire what you came here to do. You were just a little misguided, but everything should be clear soon.”

From their vantage point, Yona couldn’t see the door. But she heard Lili’s gasp of surprise, saw the feathers behind her head fan out—and in less urgent circumstances, she might have stopped to marvel at the sight—as the door slid open. “Won! How—?” Yona gripped Zeno’s hand. Then Lili relaxed again. “Sorry, I thought—humans all look alike, you know?” She paused. “But you can’t be human. Show me your real face!”

“This is my real face,” spoke a soft, feminine voice.

“…no way.”

“His Majesty told me he’d be sending you here,” the voice continued. Yona knew that voice. Who—? “May I come inside? I’ve never seen one of your ships in person before.”

Lili stepped aside. “But…you’ve seen people like us before.”

“Aven like you, yes,” said the voice. Yona still couldn’t see its owner. “Though not like you…” That must be directed at Tetora. “Others, too.” Footsteps, and the woman finally stepped into view. That was—

“I see you couldn’t contain your curiosity, Mother,” said Suwon’s voice.

The woman—Suwon’s mother, Lady Yong-hi—laughed. “What did you expect?”

Before she knew what she was doing, Yona was halfway down the ladder. She hadn’t realized how much seeing a familiar face would mean to her. Aunt Yong-hi had always been kind to her, if distant, and…Yona paused in her descent. Yong-hi was Suwon’s mother, after all. If she knew what was going on…that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Yona took a deep breath. She had to hope. “Aunt Yong-hi,” she began, stepping down off the last step.

Yong-hi spun around and her eyes widened. “Princess Yona,” she said. Then she glanced back toward the front of the ship. “Computer, when you said you were bringing two humans, you forgot to mention—”

There was no response from Suwon’s voice.

“…well then,” said Yong-hi, as Zeno hopped down beside Yona. “Computer, for now, at least, it would be best if my guests’ holomasks were turned on.”

“Of course, Mother.” That same flicker from earlier, and suddenly Lili, Ayura, and Tetora were human again. Yona blinked. Somehow, their human disguises, which should have seemed far more natural, already seemed false to her. Lili’s in particular. Maybe it was that Lili wore foreign clothes now, or maybe it was simply that Yona knew the truth.

“Now then,” said Yong-hi. “Please come with me. I apologize,” she said as they followed her back out of the ship and into the mansion, “but I wanted to wait to greet you properly until we had left the ship. This house isn’t networked,” she explained. “His Majesty won’t hear our conversation here.”

Lili narrowed her eyes. “You knew we were coming,” she said.

“I do have a personal computer console, yes,” Yong-hi agreed. “It’s shut down at the moment. Now—” She turned to face the group and formally greeted them with a slight bow. “I am Yong-hi, the king’s mother. I’ve dismissed most of the servants for the day, so that we can speak freely, but may I at least offer you all some tea?”

Lili looked from Yong-hi, to Ayura and Tetora, to Yona and Zeno, and back to Yong-hi again. “…yes, please,” she finally said.

* * *

“This is the royal university, isn’t it?” Yona asked. The six of them sat around a table in an elegant sitting room, drinking a delicious floral tea. After her months of travel, the formality would have felt out of place; after what had transpired today, it felt surreal. But Yona had put together Yong-hi’s presence with the buildings she’d seen from above. About seven years ago, after a nearly miraculous recovery from her illness, her aunt had asked King Il for the use of an abandoned Sky Army training camp to build a university of the sciences. Yona had never been here before, though she’d heard Yun speak of it many times.

“Yes,” said Yong-hi. “What better place to introduce this world to the rest of the universe?”

“Uh…” Lili, plainly confused. Tetora reached out a hand—still a human hand—to Lili’s shoulder, and Lili took a deep breath. “What the hell is going on? A human shouldn’t be working with the Company, a human shouldn’t even know it exists—”

“Neither I nor my son work for the Company.”

“When you say your son, you mean…” Lili shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. The AI _is_ the Company.”

“The Company’s creation,” Yong-hi corrected. “Not their puppet. Both of us, now, oppose the Company’s presence here.”

“…that’s impossible,” said Lili.

“But it’s what I thought,” said Yona. “Suwon, he’s…it seemed that everything he did was for Kouka.” But what her aunt was saying—she spoke as if Suwon had always been this thing. As if this AI was the real Suwon. Then…then Lili had been wrong about that, too.

“No, you don’t understand!” Lili protested. “AIs that turn against their creators, that’s something that only exists in stories. _Scary_ stories!” She glanced at Tetora. “Right?”

“I suppose if any AI were to achieve true sentience, it would be one of the Company’s planetary models,” said Tetora. “They’re far beyond anything else. And those stories you’re talking about—didn’t you want the Company to be afraid?”

“Well, yes, but…but it hasn’t done anything that the Company’s AI shouldn’t do! It’s still bringing in tourists, and…”

“And when you demonstrated that you were here to sabotage the Company, he brought you to me.”

“Aunt,” Yona began. “Lili tried to explain a lot of things to me, but…” She shot an apologetic glance in Lili’s direction. She didn’t doubt Lili’s sincerity, but it seemed that Lili only knew part of the whole story. “Please, help me understand. Just what is Suwon?”

By the time Yong-hi finished her explanation, Yona understood. He had told her the truth: the Suwon she knew never existed. And yet…when she thought that the AI had killed the Suwon she knew, she’d almost been happy. He hadn’t been a lie. Now…maybe she was just weak. She still didn’t have it in her to believe his kindness had been false. He was something utterly alien, and yet he’d been her friend, he cared for her land and her people as much as she did…

And he’d killed her father. Yona wanted to ask Yong-hi another question. _Did you know?_ But she remained silent. She needed to know more, needed to know things that only Yong-hi could tell her, and she feared that if she heard the answer to that question, she wouldn’t be able to hear anything else.

“Now, Lili,” said Yong-hi. “Everyone here wishes to defeat the Company, but I suspect we have very different ideas about what that means. What is it that you wish for?”

Lili froze as all eyes turned to her. “Well—pre-contact planets should be left alone! The Company gets away with what they do because they say they keep others from interfering more, but really, they do it worse than anyone.”

“Yes, even when trying to help, it’s different not to interfere,” Yong-hi agreed. “For instance, just who is it that you’re pretending to be?”

Lili’s cheeks turned pink. “The daughter of the Water Tribe’s general,” she said, looking down.

“And he believes it.” Yong-hi turned to Yona and Zeno. “The Company likes to provide a ‘complete’ experience for their tourists. They don’t seem to care how many lives they disrupt here. So, Jun-gi’s memories have been altered.” She turned back to Lili. “Did you even stop to think what that would do to him when you left? Kan Su-jin died believing he had two sons, but you will simply vanish.”

“It…it’ll wear off. It’s not like he’ll think I’ve gone missing; he’ll remember what’s real and what isn’t.”

“And he’ll remember that, for the space of two months, he _thought_ he had a daughter. You don’t know the general,” said Yong-hi. “But you didn’t even think about it, did you? Did you wonder where your supposed mother was, or what having a daughter would mean to him?”

“I didn't—well, I’m not the one handing out memory treatments! That’s just how—”

“I know.” Yong-hi leaned back in her chair. “I’ve asked my son to handle tourists’ placement differently. He says it can’t be changed without raising too many questions. I don’t blame you. I simply wanted you to understand that, from where we are now, 'non-interference’ doesn’t exist.”

“That’s why the Company has to leave,” Lili insisted.

Yong-hi shook her head. “It won’t happen. Kouka can’t possibly win by force. If the AI were to act openly against Company policy, he would be replaced. And the rest of the galaxy is content to give the Company exclusive rights to pre-contact planets.”

“…pre-contact,” said Yona. “That means worlds that don’t know there are others out there.”

“Exactly,” said Yong-hi. “When my son still served the Company, this university was all I could do. A little push toward the stars—my small rebellion. If we ever made contact, if the galactic government recognized us, the Company would have no power here. He indulged me—it was never a real threat. But now…this place is full of people open to the idea of worlds beyond ours. It’s a perfect place to start.”

“…start?” said Lili faintly. “No, no, no, there’s a _reason_ pre-contact planets are supposed to remain in isolation.”

“I’ve heard the argument. We need to come into these discoveries on our own, to reach our full potential—that’s what you’re going to say, isn’t it?” Lili nodded. “But every scholar stands on the foundation of those who came before. That won’t change.”

“It’s not the same.”

“It’s not an option and you know it. Lili—has _any_ Company-run planet ever made first contact?”

“…no.”

“Proof was the issue,” said Yong-hi. “How best to introduce Kouka to a wider world, how to bypass the Company when doing so. And then you three showed up. You even brought a ship that the Company still knows nothing about. You wanted to stop the Company, and you failed. But the question is, Lili—are you willing to help us do it our way?”


	5. Chapter 5

Lili tapped on the wooden doorframe, carrying a pillow and blanket in her arms. “Can I stay with you tonight, Yona?”

By the time Lady Yong-hi, the human woman who knew far more than she ought to, had finished outlining her proposal to Lili, night had fallen. She didn’t ask Lili to answer right away, and Lili didn’t think she could—but she wasn’t sure she could sleep, either. Lady Yong-hi had given Lili a room to share with Ayura and Tetora, and Yona and Zeno a room of their own, but Lili wanted to be with her human friends.

“Of course, Lili.” Yona slid the door open. “Oh!” she exclaimed at the sight of Lili’s dark feathers. “You're back to yourself again!”

“It didn’t seem like you minded. It's more comfortable this way,” she explained. The holomasks that Lili and other nonhumans used to disguise their appearance were primarily visual, but they made use of some forcefields here and there, and ended up constricting and itching a little bit. Though she probably should have turned hers back on when she left her room, in case any servants saw. Oops.

“Of course I don’t mind! Actually, I'd rather see you like this.” Yona stepped back, making way for Lili to enter the room.

Zeno was still on the bed, sitting upright and grinning at her. “There's room for everyone!” he said. “Will the bird-lady’s feathers tickle, Zeno wonders?”

“Actually,” said Lili, “I don't like lying down.” Humans always looked so vulnerable when they slept. “But I can roost right next to your bed if you want.” She crouched down and arranged the pillow and blanket around herself as best she could, leaning against the side of the bed for a little extra cushioning. Once everything was in place, she puffed out her feathers and tried to get comfortable.

Zeno blinked at her. “Miss bird-lady is so cute!” He hopped down off the bed and sat cross-legged on the floor, facing her. “But you wouldn’t have come over here if you just wanted to sleep.”

Yona sat down next to Lili and reached for her hand. “Lili,” she said. “Do you think you’ll accept Aunt Yong-hi’s offer?”

It was a ridiculous idea, and Lili's answer should have been an immediate no. Introducing galactic tech and culture to Kouka on the level that Yong-hi wanted—on _any_ level—would be far worse than anything the Company did. Lili had always believed that. But Yona and Zeno had adjusted remarkably quickly, and Yong-hi—well, she’d shown Lili something extraordinary. This house was lit by electric power. Yong-hi had taken the water wheel of an old millhouse and converted it into a primitive power plant. Of course, Yong-hi had the entire knowledge base of the planetary AI to work from, but from the sound of it, the AI hadn’t made things easy for her, not until recently. And the servants just accepted this as the product of a scholar’s eccentricities. Lili wondered what else they’d accept.

And wouldn’t this be better than being manipulated in secret? When the Galactic Alliance was happy to allow the Company to interfere here—so long as they did so in secret—the phrase ‘pre-contact’ was just a polite fiction. Yong-hi was right; there was no going back.

“Whether I want to or not, I don’t know if I even can.” She could act as living proof to the people of Kouka. That part might be awkward, but it wouldn’t be hard. But returning home, seeking out galactic citizens who would willingly violate first-contact protocols in defiance of both the government and the Company, convincing them to put their safety on the line and come here—did she really have it in her to inspire that sort of confidence? “I don’t have anything like the Water’s golden seal to make people listen to me this time.”

“You’ll find a way, I know you can,” said Yona.

“And beyond that,” Lili said, “I don’t know if I _should_. Forcing my world on yours—Yona, I shouldn’t make that decision. Yona, Zeno, this is your world. Do you really think—?”

“Zeno won't lie, it's a pretty scary future. If the lady is right, the world's going to change faster than it ever has before no matter what we do. So it's probably not a coincidence that the miss sought out the four dragons at this time.” Zeno looked intently at Yona. “Miss, what do you want to do?”

Yona took a deep breath. “I can’t allow the people of this world to be harmed,” she said. “But beyond that...Lili, what you originally wanted, to make the Company leave Kouka, to make everyone from your world leave us be…”

“Your aunt is probably right,” Lili admitted. “It’s probably not possible.”

“Even if it were, would it really be better that way? To hide away from the wider world, instead of reaching out to it? Lili, I spent the first sixteen years of my life locked away in that castle,” said Yona. “I had a small, safe home there, and I was content. But if I could erase everything bad that happened and go back to that life, I wouldn't. I've seen so much, met so many people. I learned that the world was more cruel than I ever dreamed, but also kinder. Everywhere I've been, I saw people reaching out to each other. So I can’t choose to stay hidden away. I want to reach back, to reach out to your world, on our own terms.”

“I...I guess I was really wrong about humans.”

“Thinking we’d be better off in the dark?” Lili nodded. “It’s alright. You were doing what you thought was best. And after saying all that...it’s not like I’m not afraid. I don’t even know how I can help you.”

“Miss will find a way!” said Zeno.

“You don’t have to worry about that,” said Lili. “You’ve helped me already.”

* * *

Even with her mind more settled, Lili still couldn’t bring herself to fall more than half asleep. It seemed that Zeno couldn’t sleep either, for about two hours after he and Yona lay down together, he rose again and tiptoed quietly out the door. Where was he going? Lili stood up and followed after him as quietly as she could.

She caught up with him as he stepped out into the central courtyard—and ran straight into the cloaked ship, falling backwards after colliding with what appeared to be thin air. “Yep, the invisible flying ship is still here,” said Zeno as he stood up. “Are you still here too, mister computer?”

In answer, the door slid open and the boarding ramp slid out. Lili tried to imagine it from a human perspective, a strange doorway to another world hovering in the air. Ayura and Tetora’s ship wasn’t equipped with external speakers as part of its comm system. If Zeno boarded the ship to speak with the AI, Lili wouldn’t be able to hear what he had to say—but he only walked halfway up the ramp, then sat down on the metal surface, facing the open door. “We can talk like this, right? Zeno doesn't want to fly away again!” Whatever response the AI gave, it was too faint for Lili to hear. She darted from the shadow of one column to another nearer the ship. “Do you know the story about King Hiryuu, mister?”

That was a popular fairy tale, right? Lili had no idea why Zeno would bring up that of all things. Though she couldn’t remember what the story was actually about. Maybe it was relevant. “Are you asking me if I’ve chosen to become human?”

“No, no, Zeno’s just asking about a story!” The human paused. “Oh, can you do that?”

“My human body could live on without me,” the AI said. “It might even think of itself as the same person. But no. I could not become human and remain who I am. More importantly, my human body alone could not do the things I need to do to protect this world. Though I do like it very much,” it added.

“Hmm,” said Zeno. “Dragon gods are a lot bigger and stronger than humans, too. But don't worry, Zeno can tell that mister computer is doing his best! You think so too, right, bird lady?”

Oops, she’d been found out. Lili stepped forward into the light pouring from the ship’s open door. “Zeno, you’re talking to a powerful AI as if you’re praising a child.”

“Of course! Aunt said that mister computer is only ten years old!”

“That’s not—computers are different when it comes to things like that, you know!”

“Probably!” Zeno agreed. He looked at Lili. “You’ve made a decision, haven’t you?”

“I want to help your planet,” Lili said. “I’ll do it. But...I heard what you were asking. I don’t know what the story you mentioned is about, but you’re worried about humans being led by someone who isn’t human, right?” She looked towards the open door of the ship—unfortunately, she didn’t remember where the ship’s visual sensors were, so it wasn’t like she could look Suwon right in the eyes. “There had better be humans involved in your plan,” she said. “You kept trying to keep Yona from finding things out, but she’s really strong! She could have helped you, if you hadn’t—” She still didn’t know what exactly it was he’d done. “Anyway. This is her world, not either of ours.”

“It’s true that I’m a product of galactic technology, but Kouka is the only home I’ve ever known. It may not be your world, but it _is_ mine.” Lili blinked. She hadn’t considered it from that perspective, but she supposed it was true. As much as an AI had a home at all, at any rate. “Of course, the Galactic Alliance won’t recognize an emerging civilization led by anyone other than a human,” Suwon continued. “Lili, this world is going to change very quickly. I'm sure there are many humans capable of leading the Kouka it will become, but even I can't predict who they are, not yet.”

_Well, Yona._ Did the AI have a blind spot where she was concerned, or what? Was that even possible? But it had answered the important question. “Then—then as long as you—”

“The Company set me on Kouka's throne. I have no desire to remain there once it becomes unnecessary.”

Lili nodded. “Good.”

Zeno stood up and looked back towards Lili. “Miss bird-lady, let’s go back to bed!” Lili nodded.

“Ouryuu.”

Zeno turned around. “Oh? Does mister computer have more questions for Zeno?”

“...perhaps another time.”

“Okay!” He hopped off the side of the ramp and then bowed towards the ship. “Goodnight, mister computer!” The ramp pulled back in, the door slid shut, and the cloaked ship was once again completely hidden from view. Yona was still sound asleep when they returned, and this time, Lili had no trouble following suit.


	6. Chapter 6

Yona woke before dawn, a habit picked up from her travels. Zeno was still sprawled out on the bed beside her, Lili curled up on the floor in her little blanket-nest. She smiled, rolled over, and closed her eyes. Being able to sleep comfortably late was a luxury she’d missed. The path ahead was more frightening than she’d ever thought possible, but for now, she was safe with friends.

What seemed like only a moment later, but must have really been at least an hour judging by the amount of light coming in through the window, she was awakened again by a soft rap at the door. “Honored guests, the Lady Yong-hi asks that you join her for breakfast.”

“Oh! We'll be there right away!” Lili replied.

Zeno rolled out of bed. “Yay, food!”

They all quickly changed out of the sleeping clothes Yong-hi had provided. When Yona opened the door, the maid was still there—and she gasped in shock at the sight of Lili. “A—a demon!”

Yona stepped forward, ready to defend the other girl, but Lili spoke up first. “Don’t worry!” she said. She reached for her necklace, and her disguise flickered on, then back off again. “I’m the same person you served tea to last night.”

“The bird-lady is an ambassador from above the sky!” said Zeno.

“...above the sky,” the maid repeated.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” said Lili. “I’m not here to hurt anyone, I promise. Lady Yong-hi knew what I was when she invited me here.”

The maid looked down and muttered something under her breath. “Pardon?” Yona asked.

“I said of course she did,” said the maid. “I always knew the lady was up to something strange.”

“Is it going to be a problem?” Lili asked.

“N-no, Divine Lady, I—”

“...divine? Oh! ‘Above the sky’ doesn’t mean—look, I’m a person. Just, different. And I’m probably going to be here for a while, so you have to stop acting like I’m weird, okay?”

Yona tried to hold back her laughter. Now that Lili had decided share her secrets, she really wasn’t going to hide from anyone, was she? But her direct approach to diplomacy might be exactly what was needed. “Um,” said the maid, “do—do you still want breakfast?” Lili nodded, and all three of them followed the maid into the dining room. Ayura and Tetora were already there, still disguised as humans, chatting with Yong-hi.

“Lady Lili!” Tetora looked up in alarm, but Yong-hi just smiled.

“I've decided to do what Lady Yong-hi suggested,” Lili said. “Did you really mean it when you said you'd stay with me? I can't promise I'll ever be able to pay you, or that we won't end up in prison when it's all over.”

“If it comes to that, we can hide out here and live out our days as humans,” said Tetora. “That wouldn't be so bad, right, Ayura?”

“Lady Lili, if this is what you want, we'll stay with you.”

The maid, wide-eyed, glanced from Lili to Ayura and Tetora. “Then—you’re all—” With shaking hands, she poured tea for Lili, Yona, and Zeno as they sat down at the table, then rushed out of the room.

“There will probably be some rumors,” said Yong-hi.

“It’s what you wanted, right?”

Yong-hi smiled. “I think I’ll enjoy working with you, Lili.”

“Good,” said Lili, taking a sip of her tea. “Before I do anything else, though, I need to make sure everything’s alright in Sensui. We stopped Hiyou, but the people who were hurt by nadai—I know it’s not really my responsibility, but I stepped in, so I should—”

“His Majesty intends to see to that,” said Yong-hi.

“...right. But also...I should probably talk to General Joon-gi.”

“Maybe you should wait,” cautioned Tetora. “His memories will remain altered for the allotted time no matter what you tell him.”

They spoke of erasing and rewriting memories as though it were a simple matter of fact, but to Yona, that seemed more terrible than anything she’d seen, more frightening than weapons that shot fire or ships that flew in the sky. Did the Water general really believe he’d known Lili all her life? To truly remember a daughter, and then see Lili as she really was—what would that do to him? The Company played with people’s lives so casually. _No. Not the Company._ It was Suwon who had done that, Yong-hi had said. Suwon, who even now thought that was a price worth paying. _He didn’t_ — A sudden fear hit her. _Her_ memories were all real, weren’t they? No, no, they had to be. Because she could still remember _that night._ And that, too, was a price Suwon chose to pay.

“If I act publicly, General Joon-gi may hear about it,” said Lili. “He should learn the truth from me.”

“Yes,” said Yong-hi. “Perhaps that's wise. In that case—”

The maid stepped back into the room. “My lady, a very strange—” She glanced at Lili again and seemed to think better of her words— “A group of entertainers is here. They’re looking for the red-haired girl.”

“Oh!” Zeno stood up. “Time to go!”

Yona didn’t wait for Yong-hi’s response. She stood up and raced to the front entrance, Zeno trailing behind her. There they were, all of them. Yun and Kija and Jaeha and Shinah and Hak. “Princess!” Kija held his claws ready to strike, but the look on Hak's face was even more frightening.

“I’m alright,” Yona assured them. “I'm fine. I'm safe!” She reached for Hak, taking his hands to prove she was really there, and he finally relaxed.

“Princess.”

“See, Hak?” Kija said. “I knew Zeno would keep the princess safe.”

“Liar,” said Yun. “You were just as worried as the rest of us.” He looked at Yona. “What happened? You were taken away in a ship that flew in the sky! This is the royal university, right? I heard they were doing some pretty wild stuff here, but nothing like that! And there were strange creatures, and Shinah said—”

“Come inside,” said Yona. “It'll be easier to explain.”

They'd seen her before—if only briefly—but Yona could still sense the surprise from her friends as they entered the dining room and saw the feathered girl waiting for them. “Shinah said you’re Lady Lili,” said Yun. “Is that true?”

“What?” The feathers around Lili’s face flared out in what Yona had come to recognize as an expression of surprise. “How did you know?”

“You were wearing a picture,” Shinah explained. “But…” He raised a hand to his mask, indicating he could still see.

“No way! There’s no way you could see through my holomask!”

Shinah shrugged as if to say _well, I did._ “Your friends...also are monsters,” he said.

“Shinah, if you knew all along that Lili wasn’t human, you should have said something sooner,” said Kija.

“Yona...is already friends with monsters, so...it was fine.”

“We'd just have liked a heads up,” said Yun.

Yong-hi, meanwhile, was staring at Yona’s companions almost as intently as they were staring at Lili. “You can see through that mask?” she asked Shinah. “Princess Yona, I knew Hak would be among your companions, but these strange men...Yona, who—?”

“They’re my friends,” Yona said. “No, they’re family, just as much as you are.” She introduced them by name. Their powers might not exactly be hidden, but there was no need to mention that they were the four dragons of legend. “And you hardly have a right to call them strange,” she added.

“But it's true,” said Yun. “Yona has a talent for befriending rare beasts.”

“Hak, everyone,” said Yona. “Lili isn’t human, but she’s still fighting for the people of Kouka.” She glanced at Yong-hi. “My friends deserve an explanation,” she said. “And it will probably take some time. Is there enough food for everyone?”

Maybe it was because Shinah had already told them about Lili, Ayura, and Tetora’s true forms, but Yona’s companions were surprisingly open to her story. But as she explained about the Company and Lili's intent to stop it, she found herself avoiding the subject of Suwon. She'd done that in Awa, too, hadn't even told the others she'd seen him. Why was it still so hard to let go? She knew the truth—so what was left to hold on to? But if she explained that to Hak...Lili said that Suwon was a machine without feelings. Hak would believe that, and he'd have every right to. Yona had seen and heard enough that she should believe it too, and yet she couldn't find it in herself to tell the others why that had to be true. It was enough to say that Suwon already knew about the Company and was also working against it. Both Lili and Yong-hi watched her as she told the story; they saw what she was leaving out. If they wanted to say more, then so be it.

“What about the others?” Jaeha asked. “The king had two prisoners. One of them was a creature like Lili, but the other was human.”

“Surely she wasn’t an enemy,” Kija added.

“...I’m not actually sure,” Lili admitted. “I thought we were on the same side, but I don’t know if those two will be able to see the—the king—as an ally.” So Lili had chosen to follow Yona’s lead and say nothing about Suwon. “The human, she was taken from this world by the Company ten years ago, she’s not going to look kindly on anyone or anything associated with them.”

Yong-hi frowned. “They opened fire in the middle of a crowd of civilians; I wasn’t planning on making them the same offer I made you,” she said to Lili. “But—taken by the Company? Are you sure it wasn't by pirates or slavers?”

“I'm sure,” said Lili.

“Her desire for vengeance was very clear,” Tetora added.

“If she was a prisoner for ten years, I could hardly blame her,” said Jaeha.”

“But a human who lived among them for so long might have useful information,” said Yun.

“Yes,” agreed Yong-hi. “I’ll speak to this woman. I don’t know why I wasn’t told…”

“As for us,” Yun began, “Because of Yona and Hak’s position, we won't be able to do much when it comes to reaching influential people here.” He thought for a moment. “Lili, when you leave our world, take us with you. We need to learn more about who and what we're up against.”

“Uh—” Lili looked to Ayura. “Can we do that?”

Yun’s suggestion hit Yona by surprise, but perhaps it shouldn't have. It had been his idea to go to the Kai Empire to look for iza seeds, after all. But in this case… “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Yona said before Ayura could answer. “Right now, I want to stay closer to the people I promised to protect. And also—” Yona still didn’t fully trust the thing that Suwon was. When she couldn’t even explain that to her friends, how could she abandon her world and leave it in his hands?

“And also the four dragons shouldn't travel so far away from Kouka Kingdom!” Zeno interjected.

“Is that so?” Kija asked. “I never heard that.”

“The Kai Empire is fine for a little while, but this is further than anyone's ever gone, so please don't risk it, okay? But maybe someday Zeno and the lad can go together!”

“But you just said—” Kija shook his head in exasperation at the yellow dragon.

“Aunt,” said Yona. “I’d like to speak with my friends in private. Is that all right?”

“Very well,” said Yong-hi. “We’ll leave you for a while.” She rose from her seat and motioned for Lili, Ayura, and Tetora to follow. Once they had left the room—Shinah indicating that they were out of earshot—Yona took a deep breath, preparing to speak, but Hak spoke up first.

“Lady Yong-hi wasn’t suspicious of me in the least,” he said.

“...no,” Yona said. The official story said that Hak had murdered King Il and kidnapped Yona. If Yong-hi knew that wasn’t true...she had to know the rest, too.

“I can’t trust her. I can’t believe she knew nothing of King Il’s death.” Yona didn’t reply. “But this…” Hak went on. “I don’t know. This isn’t something I ever prepared to fight.”

“But Lady Yong-hi did,” said Yun. “It seems like she knows exactly what she’s doing.”

“Aunt Yong-hi has known about this for a long time,” said Yona. “Suwon...has been involved for a long time.”

“That’s suspicious, if you ask me,” said Hak.

_It is, but not in the way you think._ “Hak, I—I really do believe he’ll do his best to protect Kouka from this enemy.” Hak didn’t reply.

“But you’re still worried,” said Jaeha.

“I’m worried for Lili,” Yona admitted. “I’m worried he’ll use her and she’ll get hurt. I’m worried for all the people who are going to get caught up in a war they can’t even comprehend.”

Jaeha nodded. “After that thing flew away with you inside, the crowd panicked. We did our best to calm things down, but even so, Yun had to treat a few injuries. You’re right to worry.”

“I think we should stay here for a while,” Yona said. “I want to learn as much as we can about what to expect. Yun, you always wanted to see the university, right?” The world they were about to clash with was both frightening and powerful, and it would take a lot of work to make sure that the people of Kouka saw the beauty of that world as well as its ugliness. But thanks to Lili, Yona knew that beauty was there. She really did believe what she’d said—it was better to face the future than to hide from it. But it wouldn’t be easy. “After that,” Yona continued, “I want to go back to what we were doing before. Traveling among the people. I want to make sure that in a war between kings and creatures from beyond the sky, the people of Kouka aren’t forgotten.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Miss Tetora, Shinah keeps telling me how beautiful you are…”

“Oh?” Tetora teased Jaeha with a smile, forcing him to actually ask the question. 

“We’re leaving for Fuuga tomorrow morning,” said Jae-ha. “Won’t you give me just a glimpse before we go?” 

Yona and all her friends sat on the hillside below the university’s observatory, watching the inky blue dusk fade into night. A week had passed since they arrived, a week full of new ideas, but also occasional quiet moments like this. And now, Yona felt they had done all they could here. It was time to move on.

“He's...like this,” said Shinah. He, of course, had held out for much longer against Jaeha’s curious gaze.

“I'd like to see Miss Tetora's true form, too!” a young voice piped up. The maid who had been so startled by Lili on that first morning—her name was Taesa—had since become an avid follower of the three outworlders. Her devotion annoyed Lili—or at least it seemed to; Yona thought that Lili was secretly delighted by it. She had the night off, as Yong-hi had set out for Hiryuu Castle earlier that evening. 

Tetora laughed. “Do I really have this many admirers?” she asked. “Well, in that case…” The image of the blonde human woman flickered, then was replaced by the alien form that Yona and Zeno had seen before. Her skin was a glistening blue-grey, her eyes solid, inky black, and in place of hair, numerous tendrils, almost like an octopus’ tentacles, extended from her head. But even Yona had to blink in surprise—each of those tendrils was illuminated by dots of light. The glowing bioluminescence—which also accented her face and arms—gave her a completely different look than what Yona had seen before under the bright artificial lights of their ship.

“Oh…” Jaeha breathed. “You’re a constellation.” He reached out a hand to brush his fingers against her skin.

“Careful,” said Tetora. “I might sting you.”

“I might enjoy that,” said Jaeha.

“You’d die,” said Ayura flatly, reaching for Tetora’s arm to pull her away. She, like Lili, had discarded her human guise long ago.

“You’re a different species entirely, aren’t you?” Yun asked. “You’re nothing like Lili and Ayura. Does that mean you’re from different planets?” Tetora nodded. “And is that why you waited so long to let us see?” 

Tetora shrugged. “It seemed better not to confuse matters,” she said. “Most of the outworlders you’ll meet are aven, like Lili and Ayura.”

“Yeah, Tetora’s pretty unique,” said Lili. “There’s a good chance you’ll never see anyone else like her.”

“Then I thank you for the opportunity,” said Jaeha.

_ Interesting, _ thought Yona. Lili had told them of an alliance of worlds all across the stars. It only made sense that those worlds would have people as different from each other as Lili was from her. She looked back up at the sky. More stars shone now, blinking into view as the deep blue faded to black. “Shinah,” she said. “Can you see those other worlds?”

The blue dragon shook his head. “Not those,” he said. “But...other things. The metal boxes that fly around the world. Those...weren’t always here, so...they’re yours?” he asked, turning to Lili. 

“Metal boxes...the AI’s satellites? No way. You can see them?” Shinah nodded. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” she grumbled.

“Lili, what is this ‘AI?’” Yun asked. “You keep mentioning it, but you never explained.”

“It's…” Lili glanced at Yona, and Yona nodded. She'd been putting this off for too long, but her friends needed to know. Hak needed to know. “Actually, it’ll probably be a little easier to explain now. You started learning how to use Lady Yong-hi’s computer, right?”

“Right!” said Yun. “That thing’s pretty amazing, the way it can put information together so quickly. And they’re common in your world? Anyone can use them?”

“Yes, well, actually the model Lady Yong-hi has is pretty basic. An AI is a computer, too, but it’s way more powerful. AI means artificial intelligence, see. It’s basically a person,” Lili admitted. “A person with the mind of a computer.” She had once insisted, repeatedly, that Suwon  _ wasn’t _ a person. Yona wondered what had changed. Had Lili spoken with him more, in the time that they were here? “The Company built a computer that could control their whole operation here,” Lili continued. “It had to be able to think independently enough to make its own decisions, but since it's a computer, emotions aren’t a factor. Its loyalty to the Company was never supposed to be an issue.”

“How awful,” mused Jaeha. “To be created for a single purpose, rendered unable to rebel by your very nature.”

“But it must have,” said Yun. “Otherwise we'd be trying to fight it, right?”

“He decided that out of his directives, 'protect Kouka’ took priority over 'serve the Company,’” said Lili. “I’m not sure if  _ he _ even knows if that’s rebellion or not.”

Hak stiffened. Was he starting to figure it out? “A box that can think can't do any of that,” he said. “It would need—”

“It’s Suwon,” said Yona. She couldn’t stand the wait, the lie, any longer. “Suwon has been  _ that _ for nearly as long as we knew him.”

No one spoke. Finally, Hak stood up. “Figures,” was all he said as he turned and walked away into the darkness.

* * *

“Hak! Hak!” Yona finally caught up with Hak at the base of the hill, at the edge of the forest surrounding the university. “I'm sorry,” she said. “I should have told you sooner. But I couldn't—I’m still trying to understand—”

“Oh?” Hak asked. “Doesn't seem too hard to me. He never really cared about anyone.”

“But...I don't think that's true.”

Hak dropped her hand and turned to face her head-on, looking down at her incredulously. “You still have feelings for him?  _ Now? _ ”

“ _ No, _ Hak.” Yona gripped the fabric of her skirt, playing with it in her hands as she tried to formulate her thoughts. “Not...those feelings. But I keep wondering...someone, no, some _ thing _ like him, would he really choose Kouka over the Company if he didn’t care? I feel like, on some level, he  _ must _ .” She shook her head. “Maybe I’m just weak. I’ve been given every reason to believe his kindness meant nothing, and I still—I still can’t—”

Hak took her by the shoulders and pulled her close. “Foolish, maybe,” he said. “But I could never call you weak.” Tears threatened to pour down from Yona’s eyes, blurring her vision as she looked up at Hak. What was he talking about? He’d called her weak hundreds of times.

Brushing back the hair that had fallen over her face, Hak made no comments about the tear he caught while doing so. Was she crying for Hak, who was here by her side? Or for Suwon, who she knew was lost to her forever? She reached for Hak's hand again, then looked up at the starry heavens. “The sky seems so much closer now,” she said. “But it’s still beyond my reach.”

Hak squeezed her hand tight. “I’m not going to try to understand Suwon,” said Hak. “I don’t want to understand him. But if this is the path you want to take, I’ll follow you.”

They walked, hand in hand, back up the hill to where the others waited for them. They said nothing about Suwon—they didn’t need to ask why Yona had kept that back for so long. “Tomorrow, we’re leaving this place,” said Yona. Tomorrow, if they wished, they could pretend that none of this had ever happened. How different the world seemed than it had only a week ago! “Lili, when your ship first carried me away, I thought I was going to lose everything—you, my friends, my entire world. I was so afraid. But I'm glad it happened.”

“You've said enough stuff like that, I should probably get it into my head that you really mean it.”

“I do,” Yona assured her. “And I wish I could stay by your side.” But that would be impossible. Staying with Lili would mean staying with Suwon, in one form or another. As much as she wanted to believe he still cared, as much as she  _ knew _ , somehow, that his kindness wasn't a lie, she still remembered what he'd done. Still remembered the other time her world had changed before her eyes, remembered the instinctive terror that filled her at merely the sound of his voice. Hak lied. She was still weak. Still, they both fought for Kouka. Perhaps one day they'd fight side by side. Perhaps one day she’d understand him, understand her own feelings, enough to make working together possible. But not now.

“You don't need to,” said Lili. “Yona, I never expected to make friends on this world at all, let alone friends who knew the truth. You showed me something about the people of this world I never would have figured out on my own. Our fight against the Company might only be possible thanks to Lady Yong-hi’s university and—and an AI who turned against his creators—but it’s thanks to you—all of you—that I know we can win.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I’m sorry if the ending feels abrupt. I never intended for this fic to tell the full story of this AU, it was always meant to just be “Yona’s first contact story.” From the start, I decided I’d write about this AU through interconnected short stories, so that I wasn’t taking on a huge project all at once and so that I could go wherever inspiration took me, rather than telling the story in chronological order. But the pacing of this particular fic gave me some trouble and it actually ended up longer than I expected. Anyway, if you’re wondering about unaddressed plot threads, don’t worry--those are all stories that I intend to tell, just not in the context of this work.


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